The Greatest Metal Song Cup - Part II, Round 4, Matches 82-87

[MrKnickerbocker]

And hot take: barring "Angel of Death" and "The Sentinel", "Jesu død" is the best song here. This is an eight minute song that perfectly builds and sustains and intense atmosphere with its incredibly melodic feel.

I, and many others, just hear noise. It's eight minutes of listening to your neighbor leave their chainsaw on and unattended as it flops around a shoddy garage. I simply cannot look past every single basic element of production to hear this "perfectly built" song you're talking about.

 

[KidInTheDark666]

Yeah I don't know, black metal just seems to lack everything I want to hear in my music.

 

[Shmoolikipod]

Search and Destroy is fun, but just about any part of Deliverance is more interesting than it.

More Human Than Human has decent groove and a terrible chorus. Still don't have a high opinion of it. Jesu Død is a little overlong, and basically a trance song with black metal aesthetic which I'm not too big on. Still better.

Warzone is great, hard to deny The Sentinel's greatness even if I don't ever listen to it.

I like Dream Theater.

Super cool stuff in Wide Shut, it's a little too well produced though. Angel of Death is perfect.

Anthem that goes on for twice as long as it should vs a lively interesting song. Freezing Moon

 

[Diesel 11]

Search and Destroy is fun, but just about any part of Deliverance is more interesting than it.

More Human Than Human has decent groove and a terrible chorus. Still don't have a high opinion of it. Jesu Død is a little overlong, and basically a trance song with black metal aesthetic which I'm not too big on. Still better.

Warzone is great, hard to deny The Sentinel's greatness even if I don't ever listen to it.

I like Dream Theater.

Super cool stuff in Wide Shut, it's a little too well produced though. Angel of Death is perfect.

Anthem that goes on for twice as long as it should vs a lively interesting song. Freezing Moon

If nobody got me, I know Shmoolikipod got me.

 

[Jer]

“Search And Destroy” vs. “Deliverance”: A shit song with good guitar work vs. a great song with shitty extreme vocals? No contest despite the Cookie Monster nonsense. Congratulations, MrJunkerMyBride. Winner: Opeth - “Deliverance”

“More Human Than Human” vs. “Jesu Død”: A dope groove vs. a better-than-it-ought-to-be black metal song that runs on twice as long as it should? Sorry, @Magnus, but I know which song I’d rather listen to again. Winner: White Zombie - “More Human Than Human”

“Warzone” vs. “The Sentinel”: Great riffs, a decent vocal line, and little else from Armored Saint aren’t enough to topple a very good Judas Priest track. Congratusorrylations @MrKnickerbocker, but The Kissindrocker’s nominee takes this one. Winner: Judas Priest - “The Sentinel”

“The Spirit Carries On” vs. “Smoke On The Water”: A schmaltzy Dream Theater track only partially redeemed by its solo vs. a solidly good Deep Purple track? Sorry, @DJMayes, but the list nominee is preferable here. Winner: Deep Purple - “Smoke On The Water”

“Wide Shut” vs. “Angel Of Death”: A good and interesting Myrath track vs. a better-than-average but still disappointing Slayer track? Sorry, KaGGno, but @Confeos ‘s nominee takes this one. Winner: Myrath - “Wide Shut”

“Warriors Of The World United” vs. “Freezing Moon”: A cheesy AF yet catchy Manowar track vs. a shit show with a few bright spots? Congratulations, @Poto, your nominee takes this one easily. Winner: Manowar - “Warriors Of The World United”

 

[LooseCannon]

Opeth has delivered us from, uh, punk. Do you think that the only kind of zombie that Burzum likes is a White Zombie? Judas Priest's sentinel has smashed Armored Saint in the warzone. The spirit carries the smoke on the water on to Dream Theater. Close your eyes wide shut because the angel of death has come to, uh, Slayer us all. Warriors of the world, unite! Manowar is here to defend us from the frozen moon!

---

Part II, Round 3, Matches 67-72​

Group Stage - Round 3	Match 67​	Virtual XI Division​
Suicidal Tendencies - How Will I Laugh Tomorrow	vs.​	Overkill - Elimination​
@srfc	Nominators​	DigitalDreamDoor 100, Rate Your Music 100, Best Music Art 100​
0-1-0, 0 pts, -2	Record​	0-1-0, 0 pts, -5​
Youtube | Spotify | Amazon	Links​	Youtube | Spotify | Amazon​

Group Stage - Round 3	Match 68​	Seventh Son of a Seventh Son Division​
Annihilator - Alison Hell	vs.​	Manowar - Battle Hymn​
Popoff 500	Nominators​	Popoff 500, DigitalDreamDoor 100, Rate Your Music 100 @Perun​
1-0-0, 2 pts, +4	Record​	1-0-0, 2 pts, +10​
Youtube | Spotify | Amazon	Links​	Youtube | Spotify | Amazon​

Group Stage - Round 3	Match 69​	Sanctuary Division​
Metallica - The Thing That Should Not Be	vs.​	Ozzy Osbourne - Over the Mountain​
Popoff 500	Nominators​	Popoff 500, DigitalDreamDoor 100, Rate Your Music 100, Best Music Art 100​
1-0-0, 2 pts, +2	Record​	1-0-0, 2 pts, +6​
Youtube | Spotify | Amazon	Links​	Youtube | Spotify | Amazon​

Group Stage - Round 3	Match 70​	Somewhere in Time Division​
Sentenced - Fields of Blood, Harvester of Hate	vs.​	Bathory - A Fine Day to Die​
@Magnus	Nominators​	Popoff 500, Rolling Stone 100, DigitalDreamDoor 100, Rate Your Music 100​
0-1-0, 0 pts, -3	Record​	1-0-0, 2 pts, +9​
Youtube | Spotify | Amazon	Links​	Youtube | Spotify | Amazon​

Group Stage - Round 3	Match 71​	BBC Archives Division​
Motörhead - Killed by Death	vs.​	Slayer - Raining Blood​
Popoff 500, Best Music Art 100	Nominators​	Popoff 500, Rolling Stone 100, DigitalDreamDoor 100, Radio EHS 100, Rate Your Music 100, VH1 40 @Diesel 11, @KiDDo​
1-0-0, 2 pts, +1	Record​	1-0-0, 2 pts, +11​
Youtube | Spotify | Amazon	Links​	Youtube | Spotify | Amazon​

Group Stage - Round 3	Match 72​	Hell on Earth Division​
Nightwish - The Siren	vs.​	Dio - Rainbow in the Dark​
@Diesel 11	Nominators​	Rolling Stone 100, DigitalDreamDoor 100, Rate Your Music 100​
1-0-0, 2 pts, +11	Record​	1-0-0, 2 pts, +16​
Youtube | Spotify | Amazon	Links​	Youtube | Spotify | Amazon​

 

[Magnus]

Matches 4 and 5 were tough, loving them all.
6 was even tougher, hating both but Diesel.

 

[LooseCannon]

I appreciate you making decisions through the challenges!

 

[Detective Beauregard]

Metallica and Slayer over Ozzy and the always overrated Motörhead. Sixth match was tough because I love The Siren’s uniqueness but I couldn’t vote against a Dio classic (even if Dio himself hated it).

Fourth match was a painful 15 minutes. Threw @Magnus a bone because parts of his pick reminded me of old Opeth.

Edit: I like The Thing That Should Not Be, but there are much stronger Metallica tracks that should be in this game that probably aren’t (namely almost the rest of the Puppets album).

 

[Diesel 11]

"Raining Blood" is a top 3 contender. Fuck Motorhead.

 

[Kalata]

Battle Hymn is the real Manowar. Great classic metal song.

Over The Mountain's parts/ideas are just so good. The Thing That Should Not Be's heaviness is brutal, but that's it for me.

The Siren is more than a worthy opponent of Rainbow In The Dark. With its vibe, music and chorus. Both are special songs imo.

 

[srfc]

Suicidal Tendencies - How Will I Laugh Tomorrow vs. Overkill - Elimination
Elimination has a good riff/groove and great vocal, but it's not in the ball park of Suicidal How Will I Laugh Tomorrow

Annihilator - Alison Hell vs. Manowar - Battle Hymn
I like Battle Hymn, it's a great track, bar the Disney breakdown in the middle, but Alison Hell is far better Alison Hell

Metallica - The Thing That Should Not Be vs. Ozzy Osbourne - Over the Mountain
The Thing That Should Not Be has always been the weakest song on Puppets, it seems to get some kudos just because it's in a low tuning. Over the Mountain obliterates it Over the Mountain

Sentenced - Fields of Blood, Harvester of Hate vs. Bathory - A Fine Day to Die
Sentenced had some decent riffs but wasn't for me, Bathory was great, proper head nodding groove A Fine Day to Die

Motörhead - Killed by Death vs. Slayer - Raining Blood
Killed by Death is possibly my favourite Motorhead track, but it's way out of it's depth here. Raining Blood

Nightwish - The Siren vs. Dio - Rainbow in the Dark
Nightwish was pretty good, would like to hear more from them in this sort of proper song format, liked the goth vibe of the chorus-y section, reminded me a bit of a band @MindRuler had in an earlier round, could do with a memorable hook though. Rainbow in the Dark is awesome, one of Dio's very best vocals and a proper memorable hit Rainbow in the Dark

 

[MindRuler]

liked the goth vibe of the chorus-y section, reminded me a bit of a band @MindRuler had in an earlier round,

Lorelei by Theatre Of Tragedy!
Glad you remembered it. Aégis is a wonderful album.

 

[Jer]

“How Will I Laugh Tomorrow” vs. “Elimination”: The Suicidal Tendencies track has good vocal lines, great songwriting, and a great solo, while the Overkill track has good riffs and bass work, but little else. An easy call for @srfc’s nominee. Winner: Suicidal Tendencies - “How Will I Laugh Tomorrow”

“Alison Hell” vs. “Battle Hymn”: The Annihilator track has strong music with terrible vocals, while the Manowar track is merely OK and stuffed to the gills with cheese. Sorry, @Perun, but I prefer the list nominee here. Winner: Annihilator - “Alison Hell”

“The Thing That Should Not Be” vs. “Over The Mountain”: The Metallica track is very good, if a bit repetitive, while the Ozzy track is merely good. A straightforward call here. Winner: Metallica - “The Thing That Should Not Be”

“Fields of Blood, Harvester of Hate” vs. “A Fine Day To Die”: The Sentenced track has some interesting guitar and bass work, but the vocals and songwriting kinda stink, while the Bathory track is almost great, if a bit raw and unpolished. Sorry, @Magnus, but I prefer the list nominee here. Winner: Bathory - “A Fine Day To Die”

“Killed By Death” vs. “Raining Blood”: The Motörhead track is typically serviceable but forgettable, while the Slayer track is actually pretty good, minus the typically bad vocals and shitty soloing. An easy call for DiDDo11’s nominee. Winner: Slayer - “Raining Blood”

“The Siren” vs. “Rainbow In The Dark”: The Nightwish song is good, if a bit too soundtrackish, while the Dio song is great. Sorry, @Diesel 11, but the list nominee takes this one. Winner: Dio - “Rainbow In The Dark”

 

[MrKnickerbocker]

Both the vocals in the first match are terrible, but Overkill is at least more harmless.

Sentenced and Bathory are both alright, I don't love either of them. I wanted Bathory to go somewhere, but it feels very samey. The riffing by Sentenced gives it the win.

Easy votes for Annihilator, Metallica, Slayer, and Dio.

 

[Confeos]

Suicidal Tendencies, Manowar, Metallica, Bathory, Slayer, Dio.

Was tempted to vote for Annihilator and Nightwish in their respective matchups, but their opponents just pulled ahead.

 

[JudasMyGuide]

Pretty easy votes for Overkill, Annihilator, Metallica, Bathory and Motorhead, only the last match took a while to decide and, well, Rainbow in the Dark is such a cool, 80s-style song, one of the catchiest things Dio ever put out, but still... Nightwish are Nightwish, call me band biased (because I am).

 

[LooseCannon]

You know, there's a joke about Overkill and Suicidal Tendencies but I'm not adroit enough to make it currently. Annihilator brings the battle hymn to their foes in this one. Metallica doesn't want to go over the mountain and face the thing that should not be. Doesn't Sentenced have the best song name to go against Bathory's A Fine Day to Die? Slayer is raining blood on their speed-fueled predecessors. You don't need a siren to navigate in the dark, says Dio. You need a rainbow.

---

Part II, Round 3, Matches 73-78​

Group Stage - Round 3	Match 73​	Dennis Stratton Division​
Hell - Blasphemy and the Master	vs.​	System of a Down - Toxicity​
@srfc	Nominators​	VH1 40, Youtube 50 @Spambot, @____no5​
0-1-0, 0 pts, -15	Record​	1-0-0, 2 pts, +7​
Youtube | Spotify | Amazon	Links​	Youtube | Spotify | Amazon​

Group Stage - Round 3	Match 74​	Can I Play With Madness? Division​
Megadeth - Into the Lungs of Hell (original version)	vs.​	Sepultura - Refuse/Resist​
@Jer	Nominators​	Popoff 500, Rolling Stone 100, Radio EHS 100, VH1 40​
1-0-0, 2 pts, +9	Record​	0-1-0, 0 pts, -4​
Youtube | Spotify | Amazon	Links​	Youtube | Spotify | Amazon​

Group Stage - Round 3	Match 75​	Brave New World Division​
Rhapsody of Fire - Knightrider of Doom (Power of the Dragonflame version)	vs.​	Helloween - Halloween​
@JudasMyGuide	Nominators​	Popoff 500, DigitalDreamDoor 100, Rate Your Music 100 @Black Bart, @____no5, @Wogmidget, @JudasMyGuide​
1-0-0, 2 pts, +1	Record​	1-0-0, 2 pts, +15​
Youtube | Spotify | Amazon	Links​	Youtube | Spotify | Amazon​

Group Stage - Round 3	Match 76​	Ghost of the Navigator Division​
Angra - Carry On	vs.​	Dream Theater - Metropolis, Part I: The Miracle and the Sleeper​
@Black Bart	Nominators​	Popoff 500, DigitalDreamDoor 100, Rate Your Music 100 @DJ James, @LooseCannon​
1-0-0, 2 pts, +3	Record​	1-0-0, 2 pts, +20​
Youtube | Spotify | Amazon	Links​	Youtube | Spotify | Amazon​

Group Stage - Round 3	Match 77​	Hallowed Be Thy Name Division​
Dio - Stand Up and Shout	vs.​	Megadeth - Tornado of Souls​
Popoff 500	Nominators​	Popoff 500, DigitalDreamDoor 100, Rate Your Music 100 @____no5, @Confeos, @Wogmidget​
1-0-0, 2 pts, +5	Record​	1-0-0, 2 pts, +18​
Youtube | Spotify | Amazon	Links​	Youtube | Spotify | Amazon​

Group Stage - Round 3	Match 78​	Wasted Year Division​
Anthrax - Medusa	vs.​	Iced Earth - Dante's Inferno​
@The Dissident	Nominators​	Popoff 500 @____no5, @Confeos​
0-1-0, 0 pts, -15	Record​	1-0-0, 2 pts, +10​
Youtube | Spotify | Amazon	7Links​	Youtube | Spotify | Amazon​

 

[Diesel 11]

Second choice in each matchup for me.

 

[The Dissident]

Second choice in each matchup for me.

Same